Another Sunny Day

But, oh man, was it cold again. My phone said it was -6 degrees when I got up this morning around 8 o'clock and the temps rocketed up to 9 degrees for the daily high. I did not go outside today. Well, I kinda did. I went out for the mail and to throw things in the recycle bin in the garage so I had some experience with the bitter cold. It was enough.

One of the reasons I went outside was to nab my package from Cheap Joe's Art Stuff because I was watching out for the mail carrier so that the tubes of paint didn't freeze. Now my new, much smaller third paint palette is filled with the same colors that the Basic Watercolor teacher uses so that I can paint just like her. Yeah, right. I can use the same colors that she uses anyway.

Today's Daily Practice lesson was to paint the same vase of flowers that we painted yesterday only using all blue paint. I was relieved that the teacher didn't try to make her painting look like the picture. She just used it as an inspiration piece and went her own way. Now I'm not that big a fan of blue but I painted along and it doesn't look too bad. This is my first attempt (there were two more) and I think it turned out okay, not great, just okay.

In the second attempt one flower stood out from all the rest. For once something looked art-y instead of kindergarten-y. This flower pleases and amazes me. Now if I could only figure out how I did it and do it again. I'll keep practicing, I have lots of paper and can get more. I only live three blocks from Michaels.

The next bird in Draw Like an Artist was a Kingfisher and it really doesn't look like that. It looks like a bird but not a Kingfisher. Instead I'm showing you the pair of roller skates that I drew from 10-Steps: Everyday Things. I keep forgetting to draw from those 10-Steps books but I'll try to do better because I have such luck with them.

My hands were so cold when I was drawing this afternoon that I took a break for a mug of hot chocolate. I had enough fixings for one more mug so I whirred up a new batch in the food processor. I had just enough cocoa powder, non-dairy creamer, and powdered milk for the batch. I ordered cocoa from Penzeys spices and put the other items on the shopping list. I don't have to hurry to buy them but if I don't put them on the list now I'll forget until the next time I want to mix up a batch and then be frustrated.

I have an evening rabbit. This bunny comes hopping over every evening around 5 o'clock to check out the fallen birdseed. I don't know how it sifts out the seed from the snow but it must get something out of it or it wouldn't come back again and again.

The cleaning lady came today. I love it when she's come because the house smells so clean for a while. Once a month is the right amount of cleaning since I'm just one little old, not very messy woman who gives the kitchen and bathroom a once-over at least every week so I don't have to worry about the Health Dept. stopping by.

--Barbara